Loom.



No. 731,274. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

' LC. BROOKS.

LOOM.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 26, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-$111121 1.

no: mmms PETERS LU. wow-Limo, WASHINGTON 0. r.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

J. 0. BROOKS! LOOM.

APPLIOATION 11.21) JULY 25, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT Patented June 1 6, 1 903.

FFIcE.

JOHN C. BROOKS, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COM- PANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

'LooM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,274, dated June 16, 1903 g Application filed July 25,1902. Serial No 116,893. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN O. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Paterson, county of 'Passaic, State of New J ersey, have invented an Impro vement in Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

In most looms which employ a feeler or indicator mechanism for detecting the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of the filling in the active shuttle, either for the purpose of stopping the loom or setting in operation filling-replenishing mechanism, the feeler normally occupies such a position as to be engaged by the filling from the time a fresh shuttle is inserted until the fillin is completely exhausted. This constant engagement of the feeler with the filling is apt to injure certain classes of filling, such as lightly-spun tramsilk of delicate colors, and since the feeler is not operative to affect the filling-replenishing mechanism or the stop mechanism, as the case may be, until the filling in the active shuttle has been substantially or completely exhausted it is only necessary so far as the operation of the feeler mechanism is concerned that it engage the filling on the bobbin for a limited length of time prior to exhaustion of the lilli n It is the object of my present invention to provide a novel mechanism whereby the feeler or otherindicating mechanism will be held in inoperative position-that is,in such a position as not to be operated or struckat all by the forward beat of the lay-and consequently in a positionof' rest until the filling in the active shuttle approaches the state of exhaustion, at which time the feeler or other indicating mechanism will be thrown into its operative position-that is, in such a position that it will be struck or engaged by the bobbin or some other moving part as the lay beats forward. When in its operative position, the feeler or indicating mechanism operates in the usual way to feel the filling when the latter is substantially or completely exhausted to throw the stop mechanism or filling-replenishing mechanism into operation.

YVith my invention, therefore, the feeler is prevented from cominginto engagement with the filling until the latter approaches a state of exhaustion, and consequently any injury to delicate filling-thread incurred by the engagement of the feeler or other indicating mechanism therewith each time that the lay beats up is avoided.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of the loom, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. i is an enlarged detail view of the feeler mechanism. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the breast-beam, taken on the pivotal point of the lever 28. Figs. 6 and 7 6 are details hereinafter referred to.

The lay A, having the usual shuttle-box B thereon, the picker-stick P, the shuttle S, the shipper m, and the cloth-roll O are or may be of any suitable or usual construction, except that the shuttle-box has an open front into which the feeler 3 may project as the lay beats up for the purpose of engaging the filling on the bobbin and detecting the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion thereof.

The feeler 3 is illustrated as being mounted to slide in suitable guides 4 on the breastbeam of the loom, and it is thrown into its operative or inoperative position by means of a controller 5, as will be more fully hereinafter described. The end of the feeler is pivotally connected to a connection 6, herein shown as an elbow-lever, which has pivotal support on a shaft or rod 7, which shaft, in case the device is to be used in connection with an automatic loom of the well-known Northrup type-such, for instance, as shown in Patent No. 529, 94EO may be the starting-rod for the filling-replenishin g mechanism. The other endof the connection, which I will pref- 9o erably make of some suitable resilient material, is pivotally connected to finger 8, which in turn is pivotally supported by an arm 9, fast on the rod 7. WVhen the feeler is in the position shown in Fig. 4, it operates as usual 5 in this class of devicesthat is, it is in a position to be struck or engaged by the filling on the bobbin when the lay beats up, and when such engagement takes place if the bobbin has a sufficient quantity of filling thereon the loo feeler is moved backwardly or to the right in Fig. 4 a sufficient distance to raise the finger any part while the lay beats up.

8 through the connection 6 out of alinement with the usual bunter 10 upon the lay. When, however, the filling on the bobbin is substantially or completely exhausted, the feeler is not retracted sufficiently during the forward movement of the lay to raise the finger 8 out of alinement with the bunter, and in such a case the hunter by its engagement with the said finger swings the arm 9 on shaft 7 into the dotted-line position, Fig. 4, such turning of the rod 7 being utilized to set the filling-replenishing mechanism in operation or to stop the loom, as desired.

My improvement consists in providing means for holding the feeler in what I termed its inoperative position until the filling approaches a state of exhaustion, and by the term inoperative position I mean such a position of the said feeler that it will not be engaged by any moving part during the forward movement of the lay. Fig. 3 shows the feeler in inoperative position, and when in this position it is retracted sufficiently far so as to be entirely out of the way of any moving part, and consequently is not struck or engaged by I11 such a position of the feelerof course the finger 8 is also carried into inoperative position or entirely out of alinement with the bunter 10. The means I have herein shown for accomplishing this comprises a controller acting normally to hold the feeler in its inoperative position and means which are rendered operative when the filling in the active shuttle approaches a state of exhaustion to bring the feeler into its operative position, where it will be engaged by some moving part, preferably the filling on the bobbin, when the lay beats up.

The feeler herein shown has a central slot or loop portion 11, in which operates the end 12 of the controller-lever 5, pivoted upon the breast-beam of the loom. The controller-lever is held in its retracted position, or that shown in Fig. 2, by any suitable means, and I have herein shown a spring 15 for this purpose, though a weight or any other equivalent device may be substituted for the spring.

The loop-portion 11 of the feeler is so positioned that when the controller 5 is in its retracted position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the feeler will be positively held in its retracted or inoperative position.

The controller 5 has a depending portion or arm 16, with which a cam 17 and a shaft 18 cooperates, said shaft being journaled at one end in the frame E of the loom and at its other end in a suitable bracket 19, depending from the lay. The shaft 18 is geared to the clothroll 0, so as to rotate in unison therewith, and although any suitable gearing may be employed to connect the shafts I prefer to emsplined thereto, said friction members being located either side of the cam. A suitable spring 23 operates normally to cause the friction members to contact with the cam with sufficient force to lock the latter to the shaft. The movable friction member has a groove therein, with which engages a fork 25, extending from a hub 26, mounted on a finger or pivoted support 27, which depends from the breast-beam. Said hub 26 also has an arm 28 extending therefrom, which is adapted to engage the lower end of the arm 9, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, this mechanism being for the purpose of unclutching the cam from the shaft at the appropriate time, as will be hereinafter described.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows The spring 15 is strong enough to cause the feeler 3 to be thrown into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which is its inoperative position, and when a fresh bobbin has been inserted into the shuttle the cam 17 will be in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. As the loom is started and the weaving proceeds the rotation of the cloth-roll through the gearing above described will operate to rotate the shaft 18, and since the cam 17 is clutched to the shaft through the action of the spring 23 the said cam rotates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5. The gearing between the cloth-roll and the shaft 18 will be so timed that the said shaft will rotate sufficiently to carry the cam from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 4 before the filling becomes exhausted upon the bobbin in the active shuttle. As the cam 17 comes into the position shown in Fig. 4 itengages the depending arm 16 of the controller, swings said controller about its pivot 30, and thereby allows the feeler to be carried into its operative position, or that shown in Fig. 4, through the weight of the arm 8. WVhen the feeler is in this position, the end thereof contacts with the filling on the bobbin when the lay beats up, and so long as there is any filling present the feeler is moved toward the right, Fig. 4, during the last portion of the stroke of the lay sufficiently to raise the finger 8 out of alinement with the bunter 10. WVhen, however, the filling is exhausted or substantially exhausted, the forward beat of the lay gives no movement to the feeler 3, and consequently the hunter 10 will engage the finger 8 and either stop the loom or set the filling-replenishing mechanism in operation, as above described. The swinging of the arm 9 from the full to the dotted line position, Fig. 4, operates through the arm 28 to turn the hub 26, and thereby force the movable friction member to the left, Fig. 6, against the action of the spring 23, thereby allowing the cam 17 to drop from the position Fig. 4 to its initial position, as seen in Fig. 5. Upon the insertion of a new bobbin the mechanism is in position to repeat the operation above described.

In practice I will so construct the cam 17 that its weight will be sufficient to turn it from the position shown in Fig. 5 as soon as the friction-clutch has been disengaged, as above described.

When it is desired to utilize my invention to stop the loom instead of operating fillingreplenishing mechanism, the stud or pivot 27' may have a second hub thereon, which has an interlocking connection with the hub 26 and is provided with a knock-off arm 3i, adapted to engage the shipper-lever'm. WVith this construction it will be obvious that the swinging of the arm 9 to the dotted-line position, Fig. 4, will operate through the knockoff lever to release the shipper m, and thereby stop the loom.

Since the active shuttle S is at the feeler end of the loom only during alternate forward movements of the lay, I have provided means whereby the bunter 10 is thrown out of operative position during the time that the active shuttle is in the opposite shuttle-box. As illustrated in Fig. 2, said bunter is secured to a carrier 35, slidably mounted in a guideway 36, secured to the lay, said carrier having an arm 37, which is adapted to be engaged by the picker-staff P. A suitable spring 38, having one end fast to the lay and the other end secured to the carrier 35, operates normally to hold the bunter in its inoperative position. When, however, a shuttle enters the fillingbox at the feeler end of the loom, the impact thereof against the picker-staff carries the same against the arm 37 and moves the carrier to the right, Fig. 2, bringing'the bunter into alinement with the finger 8. As the shuttle leaves the shuttle-box the spring 38 serves to move the carrier and bunter to the right and out of alinement with the finger. I have also provided suitable mechanism for registering the number of bobbins that are used in the shuttle by registering the number of times that the loom is stopped through the exhaustion of the filling or the number of times that the filling-replenishing mechanism is operated.

4O designates any suitable counter device having an operating-arm 41, which is situated to be engaged by the knockoff lever 84.. Every time the knock-off lever is operated the indicator will be moved forward one point.

Since the amount of cloth woven bears a certain definite relation to the number of bobbins used, the indicator may, if desired, be scaled to indicate yards of cloth instead of the number of bobbins.

The purpose in employing the change-gearing illustrated in Fig. 7 is to provide for changing the relative speed of the shafts of the cloth-roll O and shaft 18 according to the character of the filling in use, for it will be obvious that if the filling is very fine a certain number of yards thereof will produce a less length of cloth than if the filling were comparatively coarse. Instead of the gear ing employed I may use a chain-and-sprocket connection between these parts. The time at which the cam 17 will be thrown against the arm 16 to bring the controller into such position as to allow the feeler to assume its operative position may also be regulated by making the cam 17 an adjustable camthat is, with an adjustable face.

From the above it will be understoodthat when the feeler is in its inoperative position, and is consequently out of the range of any moving part of the lay, it-is in a state of rest, while when it has been shifted into its operative position it is struck each time the lay beats forward.

It will be obvious, of course, to those skilled in the art that when the mechanism herein illustrated is employed to operate the fillingreplenishing mechanism the knock-off lever 34 may be omitted, and when the said mechanism is employed solely for the purpose of stopping the loom it is immaterial whether the arm 9 be fast to the shaft 7 or only loosely hung thereon. In the above description I have illustrated the usual feeler for indicating exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of the filling; but my invention would not be departed from if any other suitable form of indicating mechanism other than the feeler herein illustrated were employed. Believing that I am the first to provide a mechanism which operates normally to hold the feeler or other indicating mechanism in inoperative position-that is, in such position as to be out of the range of any moving part when the lay beats up, but which throws the feeler into its operative position, or that position where it is engaged by the filling when the filling in the active shuttle has beenexhausted to a predetermined extent-I desire to claim this invention broadly without regard to the specific manner in which it may be embodied. It will be obvious, therefore, that various changes may be made in the details of 0011- struction without in any way departing from ICC the spirit of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ina loom, indicating mechanism to detect the absence or substantial absence of filling in the shuttle, and means to hold said in dicating mechanism in such a position that it is out of range of any moving part of the loom until the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent.

2. In a loom, normally inoperative indicating mechanism, and means independent of the active shuttle and governed from the amount of filling used from said shuttle to render said indicating mechanism operative.

3. In a loom, indicating mechanism to indicate the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, means independent of said shuttle to hold said indicating mechanism out of operation, and means governed by the amount of filling used from said shuttle to bring said indicating mechanism into operation.

4:. In a-loom, a feeler adapted to engage the filling in the active shuttle, means acting normally to hold said feeler inoperative in a position of rest, and means to shift said feeler into operative position prior to exhaustion of the filling.

5. In aloom, a feeler to engage the filling in the active shuttle and indicate the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of the said filling, means acting normally to hold said feeler in such a position that it will not be struck by any moving part when the lay beats up, and means governed by the amount of filling used from the said shuttle to shift the feeler from such position into operative position.

6. In a loom, a feeler adapted to engage the filling in the active shuttle and to detect the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of said filling, a feeler-controller acting normally to maintain the feeler out of range of any moving part when the lay heats up, and means rendered operative after a predetermined amount of filling has been used from said shuttle to shift the position of the controller whereby the feeler is brought into operative position.

7. In a loom, a feeler adapted to engage the filling in the active shuttle and to detect the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion thereof, a spring -pressed controller-lever operating normally to hold said feeler in inoperative position, means operated from the cloth-roll and acting to shift the position of the controller to allow the feeler to assume its normal or operative position prior to the complete exhaustion of the filling.

8. In aloom, a feeler mounted on the breastbeam of the loom and adapted to engage the filling in the shuttle as the lay beats up, a controller operating normally to hold the feeler in inoperative position, a shaft operated from the cloth-roll of the loom, and a cam on said shaft adapted to engage the controller and shift its position to allow the feeler to assume its operative position prior to complete exhaustion of the filling.

9. In a 100111, a feeler adapted to engage the filling in the active shuttle, means to hold said feeler in such a position that it will be out of range of any moving part when the lay beats up until the filling in the active shuttle has been exhausted to a predetermined extent,and means to bring subsequently the feeler into position to be engaged by the filling.

10. In a loom, afeeler adapted to engage the filling in the active shuttle, means to hold said feeler inoperative in a position out of range of any moving part of the lay and automatic means to shift said feeler into operative position prior to exhaustion of the filling in the active shuttle.

11. In a loom, a feeler adapted when in operative position to engage the filling in the active shuttle and detect the exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of said filling, a feelercontroller engaging said feeler and holding the latter stationary in its inoperative position, and means rendered operative after a predetermined amount of filling has been used from said shuttle to shift the position of the controller whereby the feeler is brought into operative position.

12. In a loom, a feeler, means to hold the feeler out of engagement with any moving part of the loom, and means to shift the feeler into position to be engaged by the filling when the lay beats up prior to exhaustion of said filling. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. BROOKS. \Vitnesses:

PAUL S. CARRIER, CHAs. M. SAUER. 

